C-Murder Seeks New Trial

C-Murder’s attorney has filed motions asking for a new trial for the New Orleans rapper, saying the rapper’s murder conviction was tainted by jury misconduct and evidence withheld by prosecutors.

Corey “C-Murder” Miller, received the verdict of 2nd-degree murder in October 2003 in a Louisiana courtroom. The conviction was for the Jan. 12, 2002 beating and fatal shooting of a clubgoer, Steve Thomas in Harvey, New Orleans. Two prosecution witnesses testified that Miller beat and shot Thomas. Nine defense witnesses said he had nothing to do with the killing, but had discrepancies in their testimonies.

A hearing was scheduled last Thursday to hear arguments on the motions filed by defense lawyer Ronald Rakosky. Rakosky contends that three jurors were overheard discussing an unrelated Baton Rouge case in which Miller was booked with attempted first-degree murder after allegedly trying to shoot a nightclub owner. Rakosky feels that the jurors’ knowledge of this previous event, in which Miller was never formerly charged, made them automatically prejudiced against Miller.

In another motion, Rakosky argues that information was improperly withheld by police or prosecutors about witnesses’ criminal histories and that the defense was kept in the dark about deals possibly made between witnesses and prosecutors in exchange for testimony against Miller.

C-Murder has been in the Louisiana jail since Jan. 19, 2002. He has yet to be officially sentenced, though a second-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence.